Page 140 of Rhodes

"Percebes are not just any barnacles. You have no culture."

"I'm related to Cain. I've had enough culture for one family."

Coop laughs and settles deeper into the chair, and it's like old times. I was dreading this visit, worried about how it would go. There are whole stretches where I forget anything is sitting between us.

Then he says, "Dad told me Tilly finally got Oak Moss straightened out."

My hand stills around the bottle.

"Yeah?"

"Sounds like it." He looks out toward the street. "Hell of a mess, though. I still can't believe she got out over her skis far enough to trip some federal review over a wetland line."

He says it like I should know what he’s talking about. Which, of course, I do. And I would have, even if I hadn't been the one who created it.

"Apparently it worked out."

"Yeah. Grandbank's putting the property under a conservation easement now." Coop shakes his head. "Which, honestly, is probably where it should've ended up years ago."

"Probably."

"Dad said she handled the whole fallout better than anybody expected."

Something hot moves under my ribs. Anybody expected is a dig at her, even though it's a compliment. I keep my eyes on the bottle.

"She's good at that."

"She is." His mouth curves a little. "Stubborn little shit."

I don't answer. He glances over.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You made a face."

"I didn't make a face."

"You absolutely made a face."

"Maybe your face is making my face react."

"There he is."

I laugh because he does, but it dies fast.

Coop takes another drink and tips his head back against the chair.

"Seriously, though. I'm glad she had you down here. Besides the Oak Moss debacle, which you couldn’t have helped, she had an uneventful semester. I’m glad I knew you were in the driver’s seat.”

My throat tightens. Luckily, he doesn't see it.

"I worried about leaving her more than I worried about anything else. The whole time I was gone, I knew if something was really wrong, you'd tell me."

The beer tastes like nothing.

“Cooper, you’re exaggerating. Stop it, already.”